Vote "no" on Referendum #2!

[Please Distribute Widely]

Dear fellow AAA Members,

I admit it, I normally throw my AAA ballot in the circular file. But this year I didn't, because I knew that there were some important labor related issues at stake. However, as I sat down to vote, I realized just how confusing the wording is for Referendum #2. Although it might seem otherwise, if you wish to support the collective bargaining rights of workers in the United States, you should vote "no" on this referendum!

Voting "no" will keep the current wording of the guidelines passed by the AAA executive board last December.

Voting "no" will keep the wording as follows:

"AAA staff responsible for negotiating and administering meeting venue contracts shall select only meeting facilities whose staff are represented by a union."

Voting "yes" will have the adverse affect of changing this wording to remove the word "must" and replace it with "strongly prefers," thus weakening our bargaining position in negotiating contracts with hotel and conference chains.

Referendum #2 misrepresents the number of venues that the AAA will continue to be able to use we keep the current language. It does this by listing venues the AAA has historically attended, rather than all the potential venues we could continue to use.

Please take the time to vote on this important ballot.

Vote "no" on Referendum #2.

You can comment on this referendum, and view other comments, at this URL.

Thank you.


P. Kerim Friedman
Visiting Assistant Professor of Anthropology
Haverford College
On behalf of AAA-UNITE
The views expressed here are my own.